All packed, George left his room. He wanted fifteen minutes to walk up to East Hill for a last look. It was one of his unbroken traditions, the first place he came when he landed on the island and the last; he always went up to the top of East Hill, from where he could see everything. He would look for a minute and remember. Always.
“Ah, Mrs B,” George said as he saw her come out on the gallery. “Could you ask Evans to bring the cart round in about half an hour? I need him to drop me off at the ferry terminal.” He started down the stairs.
“Yes, of course.”
Something about her tone tugged at him. Halfway down the stairs, he looked back and found her standing by the bannister looking down, her hands twisting the hem of hercardigan.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing, Master George. Well… I was wondering if you’d seen Millie.”
“Isn’t she with my father?” George had avoided his father’s room, on purpose.
“No, she has the day off.” Her eyes looked troubled. “She went out for a walk this morning and hasn’t comeback yet.”
George stood on the half landing where the staircase started to curve round. He put down his briefcase and turned around to fully face Mrs B.
“Have you tried her phone?”
“We’ve been trying it non-stop since lunchtime, but it goes directly to voicemail.” Mrs B walked down the stairs to join him. There was real worry in her eyes. “I’ve checked with the quay-master, she hasn’t taken the ferry off the island. I’ve called the post office and shops in the village. No one has seen her. Both Evans and Liam have gone out to look, but she’s not on the hill orthe wood.”
An icy trickle went downhis spine.
“You’re sure she went out? She’s not in her room or—Did anyone see her leave?” He’d been congratulating himself on managing to avoid Millie just now. He had hoped to disappear silently. But that was when he’d thought she was home and might justcatch him.
“Joanie spoke to her this morning. She’s the one who raised the alarm.”
George made it down the stairs and was halfway to the kitchen before Mrs B had finished talking. He found Joanie and Nurse Ann conferring. They looked up at him, hope in their eyes which quickly turned to disappointment.
“Joanie, tell me whatyou know.”
She pushed back her chair and got up. “Millie came to the kitchen early, seven or a quarter past, and took a bottle of water from the fridge. She usually takes a sandwich if she’s planning on a long walk, but she said it was too hot and just some fruit, then went out. She said, ‘See you later.’” Joanie’s voice wavered on thelast word.
George’s heart fell. “And she didn’t tell you where she was going, why she needed aday off?”
Joanie looked at Mrs B and Nurse Ann. All three looked unhappy.
“You’d better tell him,” NurseAnn said.
“Tell me what?” This was getting worse by the minute.
“Your father gave her the day off. He told her last night because…” Mrs B pressed her lips together as if debating with herself.
George clenched his jaws. “Look, all of you. I can’t help unless I know everything.”
“She seemed upset about something. I didn’t think.” Joanie looked guilty. “I should have remembered. Her ex-husband came to see her, and he upset her.”
“What? When?”
He didn’t realize he was shouting or towering over Joanie until Mrs B stepped in between them. Very deliberately, he made himself take astep back.
“Yesterday, before lunch,” Mrs B said. “He was pretty nasty and said some very unpleasant things.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” He was breathing fast. “Where is he?”
“Oh no, your father got rid of him. He left the island on the one o’clock ferry, we checked. It’s just that she seemed distracted the rest of the day, and Mr Du Montfort told her she could have a whole day off. That’s why Joanie thinks Millie looked upset this morning. That’s allwe know.”
“No, not upset,” Joanie said. “I don’t know how to say it, like she wasn’t herself, like she made adecision.”
